Lavrov to discuss DPRK, Syria, Iran issues at G8 ministerial

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday at a ministerial meeting of the Group of Eight (G8) in London will discuss the situation with North Korea, Syria and Iran, and then will travel to Switzerland for a visit. “The meeting in London will be a key stage in the preparation for the G8 summit in Lough Erne on June 17-18 and one of the most important events of the whole annual cycle of the work of this format,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said. “The ministers will discuss issues of combating international terrorism, WMD proliferation, illicit trade in conventional weapons, regional conflicts, as well as the initiative to prevent sexual violence against women in armed conflicts that was put forward by the British presidency,” he said. However, the main themes of the G8 ministerial will be North Korea, Syria and Iran. On Wednesday, Sergei Lavrov has already met with his American counterpart John Kerry to discuss the situation around North Korea. The Russian minister said that Russia and the United States have no differences on this issue, “it is only necessary not threaten with military manoeuvres.” The Syrian crisis will also be in the focus of the G8 ministerial. Russia and the United States have “compared notes” on the issue, reiterating the commitment to the Geneva Communiqu·, which envisages putting an end to violence and the beginning of talks between the opposition and the government of the republic. The ministers will also discuss the Iranian “nuclear dossier,” the situation in Afghanistan, Mali, Central African Republic, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Inter-Sudanese relations, the Palestinian-Israeli settlement. After the G8 meeting Lavrov will travel to Switzerland, where he will meet with the leadership of international organisations represented in Geneva, and on April 12 in Neuchatel the Russian foreign minister will hold talks with Head of the Federal Department (of Foreign Affairs) of the Swiss Confederation Didier Burkhalter.